I want to open by saying I think this past year's change in the website was an excellent one. That said, while roaming around getting the news off the home page I gave a shot, for the first time, to the dealer locater feature. I live about thirty miles from downtown Chicago, so I searched for all dealers in a 50 mile radius. I got 66 listings. All but 2 were Circuit City and Best Buy. How many users of the website want or need to be advised of these outlets?

I just picked up the current stereophile and discovered precisely one new record review, that of Neko Case's "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood",

Granted it was the 'Records 2Die4" issue, so there were reviews. And I was pleased to see Ms. Case get such attention. I've became a fan of her work as solo artist and with The New Pornographers after an NPR review led to an impulse purchase.

I'm shopping for new speakers and a friend offered to sell me his 10-15 yrs old Musical Fidelity MC-4 speakers from the UK. What are your thoughts?

Thanks, R

Please share your experience with such a configuration. Which pre/pro do a good to excellent job in stereo? What's to say against it, assuming one can bypass the video circuitry?

In another interesting thread, rgibran wrote:

"Sorry to take your quote out of context, but your right, JA ROCKS. Records 2 Die For has him getting his groove on with Creams music video DVD's in DTS/Dolby digital. Rock On JA!"

That's right: JA does rock. And, now, I'm wondering what other people think about this edition of R2D4. Anything you agree with? Disagree with? What are your personal R2D4s?

I remember JA (I think) explaining the review process in Stereophile. One main condition for a component to get a review was to have at least four (or was it five ?) distributors in the US.

Now let us fast forward to the rave review of the Caliburn turntable: "Approximate Number Of Dealers: None. Sold direct by importer".

How does this fit in the standard review policy of Stereophile ? Does costing 90,000 USD provide a "license to kill" that bypasses any stated editorial policy ?